Chocolates and Champagne
by Gillian Leigh
Summary: A little Valentie's Day romantic stuff. I definitely have a thing for holidays. If you're looking for substance, read else where. If it's fluff you're after, have a ball. :o)


Title: Champagne and Chocolates  
  
Author: Gillian Leigh (twistedmoonbeam8@hotmail.com)  
  
Rating: PG 13  
  
Category: Humor/Romance, MSR  
  
Author's Notes: All I have to say, is read it for the fluff. If you're looking for meaningful content, read elsewhere. ;o)  
  
  
Scully's Apartment  
February 14, 1999  
  
  
I had grown so used to spending Valentine's Days alone, that I was overly surprised to hear a knock at my door at 7:45 that evening. I had been buried in my work, as usual, pouring over case information, and I lost track of time. I rose stiffly from the couch, and answered the door. I was surprised to find Mulder on the other side, holding a dozen roses, and a large brown paper bag.  
"Happy Valentine's Day!" he said, grinning at me. I couldn't hide my surprise as I stood aside and let him pass me.   
"Mulder, what...what are you doing here?" I asked, watching as he proceeded to my kitchen and got something to put my roses in.   
"I thought we'd go out to get something for dessert," he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I was bewildered; I'd never seen Mulder act this way before.   
"Dessert, Mulder? I haven't even had dinner yet," I said, and then glanced at my watch. "Although I probably should have, seeing as it's nearly 8 o'clock." Mulder grinned at me, and I simply stared at him, still in shock.  
"Have you been working all this time, Scully?" he asked, and I responded with a nod and a yawn. "Well, why don't you go get changed, and I'll take you out for something to eat, and then we'll have dessert," he said, spinning me around and practically pushing me into my bedroom.   
"Mulder! What has gotten into you?" I asked, spinning around to look at him from just inside my bedroom doorway. He smiled at me again, and I noticed for the first time that though he wore a black suit, which was typical of him, under it he wore a red shirt and a Valentine's Day themed tie.   
"Spirit of the holiday?" he said over his shoulder as he returned to the kitchen with the brown paper bag in hand. I shook my head and flicked the lights on in my bedroom, and headed for the closet.  
  
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I reached into the brown paper bag and pulled out the bottle of champagne. I set it down on Scully's kitchen counter and began searching for the bottle opener. After locating it, I popped the cork out of the champagne, opened the cabinet and got out two of Scully's delicate stemmed wine glasses and set them out. I had entered the Wine and Spirits Shop, fully intending to buy a bottle of cheap $30 "imitation" champagne, but after shopping around a little, I found myself leaving the store with a $150 bottle of the best champagne. What temporarily took over my mind and rid me of my common sense, allowing me to spend that insane amount of money on a single bottle of champagne, I'll never know.   
"Must be a pretty special occasion," the cashier had said to me as I slapped down my credit card to pay for it.   
"Yeah, guess so.." I had mumbled under my breath, not really contemplating what he had said. When I got back to my car, it hit me. If I was willing to spend $150 on a bottle of champagne for Scully, she was definitely something special. But then again, I already knew that. I had always known that. It occurred to me, that this champagne was an attempt for me to prove to Scully what I had already known for these past seven years.   
I shook my head and pulled the box of chocolates I had picked up, out of the bottom of the bag, and set them on the counter. I threw the bag in the trash, and picked up the two glasses, returning to the living room. I put all the papers which Scully had spread out across her couch onto the dining room table, and set the glasses down. I put the chocolates between them, and sat back, admiring my work. I reached behind me to turn off the lamp, to create an "atmosphere". I was settling into the couch, fiddling nervously with my tie, when Scully appeared in the doorway of her bedroom. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor the instant I saw her. She was wearing a simple, black sleeveless dress, with a plunging neckline, which accented...certain features.   
"Hey, Mulder, you might want to try looking at my face," Scully said, sarcastically. I felt the color rising in my cheeks, and my eyes fell to the floor. I watched Scully's feet, in her black high-heeled sandals, walk across the floor of her living room and stop in front of mine. Red. Her toenails were painted red. 'Taking a walk on the wild side there, Scully?' I thought to myself, and I smiled.   
"Mulder? Is something funny?" she asked, and I raised my eyes and looked at her.   
  
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"No. Have a seat, Scully," he said, grinning at me like an idiot and patting the couch next to him. I arched an eyebrow and said,   
"I thought we were going out?" I seated myself next to him. He leaned forward and picked up the wine glasses, handing one to me, and said,   
"Before we went, I thought we could have a toast, and just talk a bit." I accepted the glass, and took a sip.  
"This champagne is excellent, Mulder. It must have cost you a fortune." He choked on his sip, and then said,   
"Don't worry about how much the champagne cost me. All that matters is that I'm sharing it with you." I was utterly taken aback. I felt my heart racing as I asked,   
"Mulder, what are you saying?" He put his glass down, picked up a heart-shaped box of chocolates, and handed them to me, taking my hand.   
"I guess what I'm trying to say is..." he hesitated, seeming suddenly very unsure. He dropped his eyes to his lap, and then, he looked into my eyes, and I felt a shudder go through my entire body. I squeezed his hand, and he blurted out,   
"I guess what I'm trying to say... is that... I...oh Scully the chocolates are supposed to be great. You should really try them."   
"Mulder, that isn't what you were going to say, is it?" I asked, feeling my heart drop. I had been hoping there was something else he wanted to say.   
"Really, that's what I was going to say," he said, avoiding my eyes again. He released my hand, and I felt myself on the verge of tears, though I wasn't quite sure why. There was an uncomfortable silence that followed, as we sat, knee to knee on my couch, Mulder still clutching my hand, as I held my glass of warming champagne. He looked at the floor, and I couldn't help looking at him. I suddenly went from being upset to being angry. I pulled my hand away as the tears rolled down my cheeks.   
"Why did you come here Mulder?" He looked up at me, seeming surprised and hurt as I rose from the couch, setting my glass haphazardly on the coffee table. I crossed my arms in front of me, protectively, angrily, as I glared down at him.   
"Why did I come here?" he asked quietly, remaining where he was.   
"Did you come here to toy with me, Mulder? Did you come here to offer me chocolates and expensive champagne, and tell me that it only matters that we're together, but then you won't say the words? Did you want to make me feel like an idiot for expecting you to say those words?" I spat, pacing around my living room, still watching him. He stood up, and thrust his hands in his pockets. I could practically smell his insecurity.  
"What words, Scully?"  
"Don't be coy, Mulder. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Three simple words, Mulder. Three simple words which you cannot seem to say. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I was a fool for getting my hopes up," I said, walking into the kitchen. I heard his footsteps behind me, but I didn't turn to face him. He had followed me. As angry with him as I was, I had hoped he would follow me. He put a hand on my shoulder, but I pulled away.   
"I couldn't say those words, Scully, because I was afraid. I still am afraid. I feared that you would be angry, just as you are now, or that you wouldn't share the same feelings. I didn't want to find out that you don't feel the same way," he said, stepping between me and the kitchen counter, forcing me to look at him.   
"But that's part of it, Mulder. The risk, the risk in saying those words. Someone has to be the first. But if you're not ready, I suppose I understand," I said, sighing. It was amazing how easily he could make me give in, without even arguing with me. I returned to the living room, without looking at him.  
  
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I followed her back into the living room. God, if she only knew, I'd follow her anywhere. I hated seeing her hurt. I hated knowing that I caused the hurt. But I couldn't say it. I couldn't bring myself to say the words. She reclaimed her position on the couch, and I joined her. Whether or not she wanted me to, I didn't know.   
"Scully, I don't want to see you hurt, especially because of something I said, or rather, didn't say," I took her hand, and I was glad to find she didn't pull away. Her eyes, glistening with tears which only enhanced their color, met mine.   
"I'm sorry I reacted that way, Mulder. I opened myself up; I made myself vulnerable, and... I wasn't ready to get hurt. But I shouldn't have reacted that way, and I apologize," she said, a few fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.   
"Scully, you've never opened up to me before," I said, feeling slightly shocked, but still happy all the same.   
"I opened up to you, Mulder, because I know now that I can. I know now, I feel it more strongly than I have ever felt it," she said, her eyes never leaving mine.  
"Feel what, Dana?" Her first name had slipped out, even I was surprised at my using it. She paused, taking a deep breath. It was now she who seemed unsure of her words.  
"I know now, Mulder, just how much I love you," she whispered it, so quietly that it was barely audible. My heart was racing, and I had to struggle to keep my jaw from dropping. All the times I had played this scenario over and over in my mind, this very moment, when love was admitted, I had always envisioned my saying it first, never Scully. She was evidently shocked as well, and I could tell that she was practically holding her breath, waiting for some sort of response from me.   
"Scully.." I said, at a loss for words. She inhaled sharply, and began to cry more violently than she had been.   
"I shouldn't have said it," she mumbled, almost as if she were thinking out loud. "I made myself vulnerable again. I opened up to the possibilities, and I blocked out the thought of getting hurt. I.. I just shouldn't have said it." She covered her eyes with her right hand, and I watched, my heart hurting, as the tears dripped between her open fingers. Now was the time. I needed to say it. I couldn't stand knowing that she was hurting, simply because I had waited so long to say the words I had been feeling for five years.  
"Scully," I said quietly, and she looked up and me, and before I could continue, she said,   
"I'm sorry, Mulder. I've made such a spectacle of myself. I shouldn't have said anything.."   
"Scully.." I began, but she interrupted me again.   
"What was I thinking? We work together. We've been partners, friends, nothing more. I should have just left it at that..."  
"Scully!" I began, but she continued talking.  
"Now things are going to feel awkward between us all the time, and I don't want..." I knew there was only one way to get her to stop talking.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I had been rambling on and on, making more of an ass of myself, when all of a sudden, Mulder's lips were on mine. I stopped talking, and kissed, and allowed myself to be kissed. When we finally pulled apart, I saw that his cheeks were wet with my tears, and his lips were partially stained with my lipstick. I wiped off his top lip with my fingers, and dried his cheeks with the back of my hand. Words had failed me. The silence that settled over us was no longer cause of such discomfort. In an instant, something had changed. Something was finally right. Mulder reached up to take my hand, and he held onto it, as if for dear life, and he looked me in the eyes and said,   
"I had to get you to stop rambling so I could tell you."   
"Tell me what?" I said quietly, still trying to regain my composure. Of course, I knew perfectly well what it was that he had to tell me. There was no hesitation when he said,  
"I love you, too, Dana." He leaned in to wipe away my tears with his jacket sleeve. I reached up and grabbed his hand. I put one hand behind his head and pulled myself in close to him. I ran my fingers through his hair, and I soon found that one of his hands was on my lower back, drawing me in to him. I still held his other hand. As we kissed again, and again, he took off his suit jacket, and I helped him loosen his tie. His hand had moved upwards on my back, and he began to unzip my dress when he stopped, and pulled away. He looked into my eyes, and said,   
"Are you sure you want this?" I nodded.   
"I've always wanted this," I said, kissing him again. Things picked up where they left off, and soon we were on our feet and headed in the direction of my bedroom.  
  
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I listened to Scully's breathing as I held her in my arms. My arms were wrapped around her chest, and I could feel her heart beating. I could smell her hair; she must use coconut shampoo. She rolled over, and yawned, smiling at me.   
"Hey, stranger," she said, kissing me. I smiled at her, running my fingers through her hair.   
"I thought you were sleeping," I whispered, kissing her neck. She shook her head, saying,   
"I was, but I didn't want to miss a moment." She smiled at me. I looked into her eyes for a moment before I kissed her on the lips, and continued down her neck and onto her shoulders and chest. I fully intended to continue, when we were interrupted by the ringing of the phone. I groaned and rolled over, allowing Scully to get up and get it. She slipped out of bed soundlessly, and walked over to her closet and pulled her bathrobe off the door, putting it on. She padded out to the living room, and returned moments later, holding the ringing cell phone.   
"It's yours," she said, handing it to me, and flopped back down in the bed. I rolled over and looked at the clock, 11:21, and I answered it, feeling bewildered.  
"Mulder."  
"Hey, Mulder! Happy V-Day, pal," an all too familiar voice on the other end said.   
"Frohike?!" I said, not feeling nearly as surprised as I sounded.   
"You don't sound happy to hear from me. What's the matter, things didn't go as well as you'd hoped with Scully?" he asked, and I could practically hear the smile in his voice as he said it. Oh how good it would feel to crush his spirit.  
"Well, things actually didn't go according to plan, but they *are* going better than I could have ever expected," I said, smiling at Scully who had laid her head back down on my chest and was beginning to doze off, again. I ran my fingers through her hair, and heard Frohike scoff on the other end.  
"Please, Mulder. We can't even be sure that she's there with you, or that she even let you into her apartment," he said, and Mulder heard Langly and Byers, who were apparently listening on the extensions.  
"Oh really? Well, you'll just have to take my word on it, because she's sleeping, and I'm not about to wake her so she can talk to you three," I said, and paused. "Well, I've got to go. I have other things to attend to," I said, hanging up before I had given them a chance to respond. I set the phone down on the table and kissed Scully's hand.   
Unable to sleep, however, I gently repositioned Scully and slid out of bed. I wrapped myself in the throw blanket at the end of her bed and began to search the dimly lit apartment for some article of my clothing. I nearly laughed out loud when I entered the living room. Articles of my clothing and Scully's were scattered about the entire room, creating a haphazard trail to the bedroom. My boxers were draped over a lamp, casting a red glow over the living room. I picked them up and chuckled under my breath.   
"Oh the things we do in the heat of the moment," I muttered, pulling them on. I picked up my glass from the table, and headed into the kitchen, flicking on the overhead light. I poured myself another glass of champagne and turned the light off again. I sat down on the couch and searched around until I found the remote. I channel-surfed for five minutes before giving up. I settled into the couch, and apparently, I was more tired than I had previously thought, and I soon drifted off into a sound sleep.   
  
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I don't really know what woke me; it was probably Mulder's absence. But only fifteen minutes after I had fallen asleep again, I found that I was wide awake. I sat up slowly, and adjusted my robe, before getting out of bed. I had a sinking feeling that when I got into the living room, I would find that Mulder had gathered his things and gone. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found him, sound asleep on my couch, clutching a glass of champagne in his right hand. I gently removed the glass from his grasp, and covered him, with the blanket which lay in a pile on the floor near the lamp. I turned slowly and was walking back to my bedroom, when I heard him say my name,   
"Scully." I turned slowly, and said simply,   
"Yes?"   
"Happy Valentine's Day." he mumbled, yawning and closing his eyes. I smiled.   
"Happy Valentine's Day, Mulder," I whispered, and I paused, looking at his sleeping figure lying on the couch. "And thank you," I continued, "thank you for today, thank you for yesterday, thank you for everything." I smiled again, and turned on my heel and walked slowly into my bedroom, turning out the last of the lights.   
  
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Scully's Apartment   
February 14, 2000  
  
I sat on the couch, surrounded by file folders, pens, paper and legal documents. I glanced at my watch, 7:45, I had once again lost track of time. I sighed, and resolved to get back to work, dinner could wait, but I was interrupted by a knock at the door. I smiled.   
'Thank you, Mulder, I thought to myself as I rose, walking slowly towards the door, 'Thank you for giving me something to look forward to on February 14.' I took a deep breath and opened the door. Mulder stood on the other side, holding roses and a brown paper bag. Chocolates and champagne.   
"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart," he said, entering, and giving me a kiss.  
"Happy Valentine's Day," I said, happily, grinning at him.   
"Now why don't you get changed, and we'll go out for something to eat?" he said, bringing the roses, chocolates and champagne to the kitchen. He looked at me over his shoulder and smiled. I grinned back mischievously. I headed into my bedroom and walked over to my closet. I pulled out the black dress, which I had dubbed, "The Valentine's Dress." I slipped out of my work clothes, and pulled on the dress and sandals I had worn last year. I sprayed on a little perfume, checked my hair, and put on some lipstick. Just before I got to the doorway, I heard Mulder add,   
"Yeah, and maybe we'll actually leave the apartment this year." I came to the doorway and saw that he had his back to me; he was preoccupied with the champagne. I walked slowly into the kitchen and hopped up on the counter next to him. He turned to look at me, and his eyes widened, and he said,   
"Or...maybe we won't..." 


End file.
